Author: staff

A 21-metre statue of Lionel Messi has been removed in Kolkata after engineers warned that the structure was unsafe. The sculpture, which showed the Argentina captain lifting the World Cup trophy, was unveiled in December during the football star’s GOAT Tour of India and quickly became a popular local landmark. Officials said the statue was swaying in strong winds, raising concerns about its structural integrity. The decision to take it down came less than a year after it was installed. What began as a tribute to Messi’s visit has now become a public safety issue.

Published on 02/06/2026 – 12:19 GMT+2 Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has unveiled plans to secure up to $80 billion (€68.7bn) in fresh capital to support its growing AI ambitions, underlining the enormous financial commitments now required in the new technological race. The company stated on Monday that the proceeds will help expand its AI infrastructure and global computing network, as demand from businesses and consumers increasingly exceeds existing capacity. A key element of the capital raise is a $10 billion (€8.6bn) private placement from Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate associated with veteran investor Warren Buffett. The agreement includes purchases of both…

Published on 02/06/2026 – 12:43 GMT+2 Algorithms and computer programmes are now considered trade secrets by the Chinese government. The new regulations, called “Trade Secret Protection,” went into effect on Monday. The rules say that any “information related to technology, such as structure, raw materials, formula, materials, samples, patterns, processes, methods, data, algorithms, computer programmes and codes,” is considered a trade secret. Technical or business information that “is not publicly known, has commercial value,” and is confidential also falls under the regulation. Anything that has already been described in the media or in open reports is not considered a trade…

Published on 02/06/2026 – 12:26 GMT+2•Updated 12:29 As the peak summer holiday season gets underway, the UK government is considering a tougher approach to disruptive airline passengers – one that could see unruly travellers banned from flying with any carrier, not just a single airline. Under proposals being discussed with the aviation industry, passengers involved in serious incidents such as drunken behaviour, abuse of crew or mid-air violence could be added to a national blacklist, preventing them from booking flights across multiple airlines. The move comes as carriers report a rise in disruptive behaviour during peak travel periods and argue…

Published on 02/06/2026 – 12:33 GMT+2 Welsh actor Owain Rhys Davies, best known for his roles in cult shows Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) and The OA (2019), has died aged 44. His family announced the news in a statement: “It is with profound sadness that my father and I share the news that my brother, Owain, has passed away. This news will come as a great shock to many. The reach of Owain’s love, friendship, and generosity was vast.” Rhys Davies’ brother, Rhodri, said there were “questions” surrounding his brother’s death, but said the family’s “understanding is that Owain…

Tuesday’s vote follows months of internal EU wrangling, as lawmakers slowed their deliberations after Trump threatened to seize Greenland in January and the U.S. Supreme Court struck down much of his tariff agenda in February. Overall, the European Parliament pushed to secure more guardrails against the risk that Trump again threatens the EU, including allowing the European Commission to suspend the tariff concessions if Washington doesn’t reduce duties on European steel and aluminum products by the end of 2026. Under the Turnberry accord and subsequent joint statement, Washington committed to a 15 percent tariff cap on most EU exports. The…

MEP Charlie Weimers (ECR, Sweden) believes the European Union is now seeing “the consequences of years of illegal migration”, despite a decline in arrival numbers. The MEP wants countries to “take back their own citizens”, adding that this has been “one of the major obstacles to effective returns”.

Updated: 02/06/2026 – 12:17 GMT+2 CCTV footage captured a bear chasing and attacking a worker outside a factory in Fukushima. Four people were injured as the animal wandered through a residential area, prompting a large-scale response by police and emergency services. … More

Price pressures across the euro area accelerated again in May, as the disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz blockade continued to ripple through energy markets, pushing inflation to its highest level in almost three years and cementing expectations of an imminent European Central Bank rate hike. Euro area annual inflation rose to 3.2% in May, up from 3.0% in April, according to Eurostat’s flash estimate published on Tuesday. The figure matched economists’ forecasts and marked the highest inflation reading since September 2023. What’s behind May’s inflation increase? Energy remained the dominant force behind the rise, with prices in the category…

Asked about missing exchanges with Mandelson on his personal phone, Thomas-Symonds said the pair had swapped messages of congratulations on their respective appointments, and were in a discussion about the former Labour peer’s campaign to be elected chancellor of Oxford University. U.K. lawmakers in February demanded the government publish communications between Mandelson, ministers, and officials in an attempt to understand what the government knew about the ambassador’s relationship with Epstein. Ministers and officials were asked to hand over any messages with Mandelson to comply with MPs’ demands. Thomas-Symonds is not the only senior government figure whose phone was stolen last…